Issue #3, April 25, 2004
Excellent Romantic Vacations “Trips and Tips” let’s you check in with romantic travel ideas, tips, and the latest online travel deals for those with “the bug”!
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Excellent Romantic Vacations Trips and Tips Newsletter
Hi everyone,
Time once again for our monthly newsletter. . Let's get right to it...
Table of Contents
1) Paris
2) New Pages This Month
3) When 70% Off Isn’t Quite 70% Off…
4) Top 10 Most Romantic Hotels (if money doesn’t matter)
5) Latest Travel Deals
Paris
New this month is our page on Paris vacations.
For romantic travelers the world over, a visit here is a dream come true. It’s quite possible that no other city in the world lives up to all the expectations the way Paris does. Despite the traffic, the high cost of the Euro and the headaches of having to navigate Charles de Gaulle Airport, most who come always want to come back again! As we prepared the web page, we already began speculating when we can afford to go back!
Although it’s a huge place and a destination all it’s own, many travelers make Paris the starting point for a swing through France or another section of Europe. There are lots of different directions you can go by train, or by car (Paris and Frankfurt are 2 of the more economical cities to rent out of in Europe). Hotel and Inn prices in France are quite reasonable, especially when compared with the U.K. and Scandinavia. We’ll have more coming up in our Paris Accommodation section – watch for it soon.
New Pages This Month in Excellent Romantic Vacations:
Kauai Vacation Rentals
Whistler Vacation Rentals
Whistler Vacation
Snow-wise it’s been a great ski year at Whistler, but spring has arrived and most of the tourists coming here to Vancouver now are not carrying skis, but sweaters and binoculars instead for their Alaska cruise. And that means there’s more room at the mountain again! Read all about our great Canadian wilderness playground only 75 scenic miles up the road from here.
When 70% Off Isn’t Quite 70% Off…
I’m sure you’ve seen them – companies, travel clubs or promotions offering hotels at 50 to 70% off the regular rates. And you wonder if it can really be that cheap.
Well, yes and no. Hotel rooms are sort of like air fares in that there are usually 25 or 30 different prices for the same product on the same date. Virtually every major hotel room has what is called a “rack rate”. It’s similar to the sticker price on a brand new car, but worse. Actually, much worse. They’re priced way up there in the stratosphere. Sometimes you can see the rack rate on the back of the room door, right next to the fire escape instructions (just below the peep hole!) In an average Holiday Inn or Best Western, it’s probably anywhere from $175 to $250 per night.
Does the room ever sell at that price, or close to it? It can, perhaps during the very highest of high seasons. But during the other 95% of the year, it’s being sold at a more reasonable price. Rates that you and I see often, like $79 or $99/night. That’s the “50 -70%” reduction. So technically it’s a discount, but in reality it’s just the market rate for that room.
Top 10 Most Romantic Hotels (if money didn’t matter)
Forbes magazine online recently published their list of the 10 most romantic hotels in the world. Coming from Forbes, you won’t find Motel 6 anywhere here!
Here’s a look at the list (imagine what the mini bar cost in some of these rooms…)
1. Pangkor Laut, located three miles off the west coast of Malaysia (private island resort, popular with celebrities)
2. Four Seasons Resort Maui, at Wailea, Maui
3. Las Alamandas, the 1,500-acre estate, located near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
4. Dar Mimosas in the Moroccan coastal town of Essaouira.
5. Maison de Ville, New Orleans
6. The Inn at Irving Place, near Gramercy Park, New York City
7. The Pavillon de la Reine, Paris
8. Home Hill French Inn, Plainfield, N.H.
9. The Bauer Hotel, Venice, Italy
10. The San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara, California
(From Forbes.com)
Hot Deals on Romantic Destinations This Month:
 NYC hotels this spring from $75 Visit the Big Apple this spring! Find great deals at a variety of NYC hotels Hotels from $75
 Ramada Inn Hollywood from $69 Ramada Inn Hollywood: Visit glittering Hollywood, explore the sights and sounds of L.A. and save! Hotel rates from $69 for travel through May 31
Keep up-to-date on all sorts of online travel bargains from major sites like Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity! Visit our new Bargain Bin of Travel Discounts!.
See you again in 30 days! |
